Schooling the hardest hit by Cosatu strike

Schooling was the hardest hit community service in the wake of the national Congress of SA Trade Unions state capture strike on Wednesday‚ with learners told to stay at home or turned back due to the absence of teachers.

In Atteridgeville‚ west of Pretoria‚ several schools were deserted with no teachers or learners on site and in some schools there were trickles of learners and teachers‚ which forced the school management to call it a day.

A taxi driver who transports learners to school said he had one learner in his mini-bus on Wednesday and there were very few learners‚ who were also leaving‚ when he arrived at several schools he serves.

In some schools in Soshanguve‚ north of Pretoria‚ parents received text messages on Tuesday afternoon informing them not to send their children to school on Wednesday due to the strike.

Agata Seoketsa‚ a parent‚ said she was called by her husband who works in Maboloka in the North West on Tuesday night to tell her that he had received the text message from Mmabana primary school in Block X informing him about the strike.

“I think it was considerate of them to notify us because I would have prepared my son (7) for school and he would have returned‚ only to find that I am not at home‚” she said.

In KwaMhlanga‚ north East of Pretoria‚ teachers said their instruction from Cosatu was to report for duty as normal but knock off at 10 am.

A teacher who did not want to be named said they abided by the directive‚ with teaching and learning continuing until 10 am.

“As I am speaking to you now I have just knocked off and learners are heading home‚” he said.

On Tuesday Cosatu said workers‚ communities and civil society organisations made it very clear that they would be joining the marches all across the country on Wednesday.

The federation urged workers across the board to put petty sectarian differences aside and join the strike‚ saying this was a protected strike.

Spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the strike was about sending a message to both government and the private sector that workers and citizens were tired of corruption.